ABSTRACT
To date, in this book, we have talked largely about how business, government, civil society, research organizations, etc. can step up to make the most of the opportunities provided to those who lead. We have shown inspiring examples of the benefits for those who already have. Change in these organizations occurred because an individual or a group of people effectively catalysed and then facilitated change. In earlier sections, we discussed significant signs that attitudes and values about sustainability are changing. What is lacking in many countries to achieve sustainable development is reliable information, and dissemination of that information to empower people, whatever their station in society, to act. But also importantly in this information age, we all need critical literacies to be able to most effectively and wisely use such information. David Orr, one of the world's leading environmental educators, has argued that the environmental crisis is actually a crisis of education: ‘The crisis we face is first and foremost one of the mind, perceptions, and values; hence, it is a challenge to those institutions presuming to shape minds, perceptions, and values’. 1 This is now widely recognized. The recent major report from the New Zealand Parliamentary Commissioner for Environment, Sea Change: Learning and Education for Sustainability, 2 showed that ‘The need for education to play a key role in addressing the challenge of sustainable development was articulated at the Earth Summit in 1992. All 40 chapters of its action plan Agenda 21, called for education. Governments from around the world agreed that education for Sustainability is ‘critical for achieving environmental and ethical awareness, values and attitudes, skills and behaviour consistent with sustainable development and for effective public participation in decision making’. Agenda 21 also called on all countries to develop a strategy to implement education for sustainability.’ The United Nations has now declared that 2005–2015 will be the Decade of Education in Sustainable Development.
